Monsoon Havoc: Himachal's Toll Mounts to 671 Deaths, ₹1,75,3.63 Cr Loss, But Centre’s Purse Still Shut
Shimla, August 5:
While Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu keeps ringing the Centre’s doorbell for a special relief package and BJP MPs claim they’re “on it,” the monsoon fury continues to punish Himachal Pradesh — brick by brick, life by life.
As per the latest data released by the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC), a staggering 671 people have lost their lives since January this year due to disasters — with 192 deaths during the monsoon alone (June 20 to August 4, 2025).
Add 86 deaths from road accidents and 393 more in pre-monsoon months, and the picture is nothing short of grim.
And it’s not just human lives. Over 28,000 livestock — including over 25,000 poultry birds — have perished.
More than 768 houses have been fully damaged, another 27166 houses partially destroyed, and shops, huts, cow sheds, schools, and roads lie broken and buried under landslides, floods, and debris.
The total economic loss runs into a whopping ₹1,75,3.63 Crore and is still counting.
Mandi, Kangra, Kullu Worst Hit
Mandi alone has reported 42 monsoon deaths, the highest across all districts.
Kangra follows with 30 casualties and the highest public infrastructure damage (₹335.77 crore).
Kullu, Shimla, and Chamba trail with 18 deaths each.
Among the dead: Victims of cloudbursts (17) Landslides (6), Flash floods (8), Drownings (20), Electrocution, snake bites, and other tragedies also dot the disaster map.
In just one day — August 4 — the state reported 8 fresh deaths, including five in a road accident in Mandi and one industrial death in Solan.
And Still, No Special Relief Package
Despite repeated appeals, no significant disaster relief fund has been sanctioned by the Centre till date.
This, while farmers mourn their washed-away crops, homeless families camp under tarpaulins, and battered roads paralyze connectivity in interior areas.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has raised the demand for a "liberal, time-bound relief package", but New Delhi remains unmoved.
Ironically, even BJP MPs from Himachal, including Union Minister Anurag Thakur, have not managed to unlock the Central treasury.
“How Many More Have to Die?” Ask Citizens
Civil society groups, local residents, and NGOs are now voicing frustration — saying the Centre’s apathy amid a clear climate and disaster emergency is akin to “criminal negligence.”
“When Uttarakhand cried, the country responded.
Why is Himachal always a stepchild?” questioned one local activist from Kullu.
As the IMD predicts more heavy rains in the days ahead, the state's battered people are left staring at cracked hillsides, broken roads, and an indifferent Centre.
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